Butterfly on a Wheel
by Ellipsis the Great
Summary: Broken and torn, crushed like a flower under the snow…and like the flower in spring, love will rise again to heal your wings. Love heals the wings of a butterfly on a wheel. Seiner. Commission fic.


_**Butterfly on a Wheel**_

_A One-shot by Ellipsis the Great_

_**Summary: **__Broken and torn, crushed like a flower under the snow…and like the flower in spring, love will rise again to heal your wings. Love heals the wings of a butterfly on a wheel. Seiner. Commission fic._

_**DISCLAIMER:**__ Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…_

_**Rated:**__ T just in case_

_**Dedication:**__ To EdoFangirl, who grabbed my 2,000 kiriban on deviantart! Congrats, Hon!_

_**Theme:**__ Butterflies_

"_Broken and torn, crushed like a flower under the snow…and like the flower in spring, love will rise again to heal your wings. Love heals the wings of a butterfly on a wheel." –Mission UK, 'Butterfly on a Wheel'_

I saw Seifer get his heart broken today.

It was bizarre, really. He and Rinoa Heartilly had been dating for nearly a year—the quietest, most boring year I'd had since meeting him.

See, from day one of Kindergarten, when we'd first met, we were rivals. He made some comment about how I was so lame I couldn't even tie my own shoes, and things between us had gone to hell from there. Never mind the fact that I _couldn't_ tie my shoes back then; it was the principle of the thing.

And then last year (our junior year of high school) Rinoa Heartilly moved to Twilight Town.

She was a nice girl, kinda pushy and blunt but easy enough to get along with for most people. I wasn't one of those, though, because she was one of those people who went out of her way to push herself on you if you didn't immediately accept her. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, mind you, since my best friend's little brother Sora is like that, but even _he_ knows that sometimes with me you gotta back off and let me cool down for a while. A guy can only take so much, and a short-tempered guy like me takes even less than most people, but she didn't seem to understand that. Our personalities just clashed, I guess.

Maybe that's what drew Seifer to her at first. Anyone who annoys me must be worth getting to know, right? Or maybe he likes pushy girls, I dunno. Either way, in spite of that initial thing no one expected her to be able to befriend him. And then she _did_, managing to do something that only Rai and Fuu had been able to do before her.

From the start, it was pretty obvious that Seifer was developing a crush on her. Even _I_ caught on, and Olette says I can be even more oblivious about emotions that Pence is about homosexuality. And Pence couldn't figure out that _Marluxia_—with his bright pink hair and love of roses—was gay, so you _know_ it was damn obvious.

It was kind of endearing, too, seeing the way he acted around her. I mean, he was usually so gruff and stoic and sure of himself, so seeing him acting all awkward and shy and sweet was pretty damn mind blowing…not to mention cute. Suddenly the person I was so used to arguing with and getting pushed around by was stammering through his words and opening up doors for some girl.

And I'll admit it: part of me was a little (well, a lot, actually) put out by this new behavior. It wasn't fair that she got to see him all sweet and vulnerable and stuff. Also, how could this…this pansy-assed boy who could hardly stutter a sentence around her be the same guy who kicked _my_ ass three times out of five? It just didn't seem right, you know?

I knew I should feel overjoyed. Seifer was (mostly) off my back and totally whipped by some shrimp of a girl who could very nearly outtalk Sora. I should have been elated—taunting him about losing his balls and acting kind of like a shy schoolgirl.

But I wasn't.

Instead, I was kind of…jealous. Don't ask me why…I guess it was because I was so used to all of his energy being directed toward arguing with me, and suddenly all that attention was…gone. There was just this weird lull in my life without him around to piss me off and be pissed off by me. So…well, maybe I was a little more resentful of her than jealous.

Anyhow…no one knows when or how they ended up dating. It just gradually happened, and one day they were dating and everyone knew about it, like it had always been that way. No one was really surprised by that point, since the shock of him befriending anyone outside of his ridiculous Disciplinary Committee had passed. In fact, a few people congratulated them.

…Okay, they congratulated Rinoa. The one and only person to congratulate Seifer (this poor freshman named Demyx) got clocked for it, so people steered clear of him after that. I was the only one who wasn't taken aback by the incident—whipped or not, Seifer was still Seifer.

Summer started a few weeks after they started dating, and Rinoa returned to her hometown of Balamb Garden to visit family and friends. Seifer almost returned to normal, though he still wasn't nearly as antagonistic as he had been before meeting her, and I still didn't see as much of him as I once had.

It was kind of depressing. Seifer was something of a constant to me, you know? Whatever anyone else thought about me (and even my closest friends have found me impossible to be near at times), he always had the same opinion. I never had to question where I stood with him. I never had to reassess our relationship…until Rinoa showed up, that is. After that, we went from bitter rivals to slightly irritable acquaintances. And I've gotta admit…it pissed me the fuck off.

Then school started up again.

Rinoa came back from home, and she brought a friend with her: Squall Leonhart. He was an alright guy, but I had no idea how or why they were friends. I mean, I thought _Cloud_ was distant and antisocial, but goddamn. But somehow she had the same effect on him as she's had on Seifer—around her he was almost pleasant and fun.

Almost.

And he also somehow managed to get on both Seifer _and_ my bad sides. I dunno why Seifer hated him (probably because he took Rinoa's attention away), but he kept getting bitchy with me for no reason. Even Roxas agreed that I wasn't being annoying or otherwise deserving of it. He kind of acted like Seifer had, except that Seifer and I sort of have an unspoken agreement that we're the only people who can treat each other the way we do. We've both snapped at other people who tried to get in the other's face about similar things.

But…Seifer didn't do anything about it, this time. That kind of hurt, in a strange way. I reasoned to myself that he was probably having enough problems with Leon (for some reason, Squall insisted that everyone call him Leon) himself, without worrying about what Leon did or said to me. It still hurt.

But, damn, I'm getting way off track here, aren't I?

Yeah. So, a few weeks after school started, right around the time of fall break, everything started going downhill. Rinoa and Seifer seemed like a happy couple in public, but anyone who knew Seifer well could tell that something was up with them.

…Maybe it was just me that saw it.

It was in the way he looked at her, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as if he was suspicious of something. In the way he pursed his lips together just a bit when he saw Leon (even more than when he had just hated the guy). In the way he became more and more gruff around her.

And then _it_ happened.

(PAGEBREAK,Y'KNOW?)

"Seifer, I've been seeing Leon behind your back since summer break."

Seifer almost looked like he had been expecting that, but mostly he was deathly pale, as if the affirmation of his suspicions was a bullet to his stomach.

"I wasn't sure how to tell you, so…so I didn't. But we want to go public, so…" She trailed off with a shrug, twiddling her fingers together guiltily. "I'm sorry."

"Bitch." Fuu snarled, hands fisted at her sides.

"You didn't have to say in front of everyone, y'know?" Rai said, crossing his arms over his chest.

She gasped, hands flying to her mouth as she looked around at the crowd that was gathering like she hadn't known this would happen if she said this in the middle of the fucking hallway at school. "Oh, God…Seifer, I'm so s—"

"Don't worry about it." Seifer cut her off, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He looked like he was about to throw up or cry, but was too proud to do either in public. Trying to be cool about it. "Just…just be happy, Rinoa."

"Seifer…" She began, putting a hand on his arm when he tried to walk away. "I didn't mean for this to happen. You have to understand…"

"I don't have to understand anything." He spat. There were tears in the corners of his eyes.

I've never seen Seifer cry before.

"Just leave me alone." He practically groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

But she has to push herself on people, remember? So she just stepped closer to him.

"Seifer, please."

"He said leave him alone, you fucking bitch." I snapped, pushing to the front of the crowd and ignoring the bizarre looks people were giving me.

"This has nothing to do with you." She said angrily.

"It has everything to do with me when you decide to admit to being a goddamned slut in front of half of the fucking school." I said. "Next time you don't want people butting in, confess this sort of shit _in fucking private_."

"Hayner."

I looked at Seifer, who looked confused and numb and heartbroken and kind of scared all at the same time.

"I didn't mean to do it in public." Rinoa insisted, breaking the strange moment between Seifer and me.

"Bullshit." Fuu hissed.

"If that's true, then you're a dumb bitch as well as a whorish one." I said. "Even an idiot knows that you can't say something like that in the middle of a crowded hallway and expect people not to overhear and react."

"Oi. What's going on here?" Leon appeared.

"I told Seifer." Rinoa said before I could say anything, latching onto his arm. "And now Hayner is—"

"Is what, bitch? Standing up for his friend?" I demanded, hands balling into fists at my sides.

"You and Seifer have never been friends." She snorted.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." I said. "And trust me: I'd rather shove your face into the ground over Seifer's any day of the damn week, girl or not."

"Hear, hear!" Someone in the crowd yelled.

"Seifer might be an asshole, but even _he_ doesn't deserve this. And he might do some shitty things to people, but I know he'd never do something like this anyone, not even me." I said.

"Yeah, Seifer's not such a bad guy." Someone said.

"That Committee thing of his is weird, but he's helped most of us out before!" Someone added.

"So back off, y'know?" Rai finished, getting several acquiescent nods and shouts.

"Before we give you a taste of the Disciplinary Committee's punishment for cheaters." I said, cracking my knuckles with a grim smile.

Leon looked like he wanted to take me up on the challenge, but unfortunately for me he was smart enough to realize that with the mob that was gathering he wouldn't stand a chance even if he _could_ manage to take me down (which I doubt). Instead, he just glared at all of us and let Rinoa lead him away.

I folded my arms behind my head and huffed triumphantly as the crowd began to disperse. "Girls like her are the reason I'm gay." I muttered, then addressed Seifer in a louder voice. "And if I _ever_ have to say that much nice shit about you again, I'm gonna gag. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Honestly."

He rolled his eyes, looking decidedly less pale now that the excitement was over. "I'll keep that in mind, lamer."

"Mm." I hummed, and turned to walk away.

"Hey, chickenwuss." I looked back at him, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. "Thanks."

"Seriously, don't mention it. Like, ever." I said. "Oh, and before you get all emo about it and stuff, you should know that you aren't a bad catch, for being such a bastard and all."

He looked up at me and blinked, one eyebrow arching up as I felt my cheeks heat up just the tiniest bit.

"It's almost too bad you're only into girls." I added. Dammit, why did I have to babble when I was flustered?

The eyebrow rose even farther, this time accompanied by one corner of his mouth.

"I'm not usually into lamers, either, but I guess I could make an exception just this once." He said, as if his heart hadn't just been trampled on. "If you're offering."

People were starting to gather again, and I forced down my blush, replacing it with a wide grin.

"Hmm." I cocked my head to one side. "I guess I could think about it."

He almost looked surprised by my statement (shit, had he been joking? Had I been joking? Were we both still joking? Holy shit, is that the Second Coming?), but quickly covered it up with another of his once infuriating smirks.

"I'll give you my number later, then." He said.

I let out a prim snort, turning up my nose and waving him off. "Don't act like I've already offered anything, you damn jerk. I am _not_ going to be your rebound man."

The seriousness that entered his eyes made me shiver a little.

"Trust me, chickenwuss: if I accept your offer, it won't be because you're a rebound." He said.

I made a show of thinking the statement over. "Will you, then?" I asked. "Date me, I mean?"

"Who am I to pass up a chance to kick your ass inside the bedroom as well as out?" He asked, shrugging helplessly.

"You fucking wish." I said as he took my hand in his. It was odd—this wasn't how he had acted at first with Rinoa—he wouldn't hold her hand in public until they'd been dating for two months. And he had certainly never acted like this around me, and yet the action seemed so natural for both of us that you'd have thought we had been the ones dating the entire time.

"What? All that and you were cheating on Rinoa with him this whole time?" Leon had appeared again, the damn cockroach.

"Not that it's any of _your_ business, but we just now decided to date, thank you." I said. "I have more self-respect than to date a man who's already spoken for, and Seifer has enough integrity not to date someone besides the person who's spoken for him."

"Well then I hope you enjoy sloppy seconds." He said.

I looked up at Seifer for a moment—he just shrugged at me. He'd already given me his thoughts on that subject. So, I pulled away, popped my neck, and punched Leon across the face.

"Guess you didn't know this, but I think that everyone in Twilight Town will agree that in one way or another Seifer's been mine since Kindergarten, and vice versa." I said. "So fuck you." I paused, wrinkling my nose at him as I grabbed Seifer's hand again. "On second thought, I'll leave that to _your_ sloppy seconds."

Someone clapped, and I think I saw Rai, Fuu, and even some of _my_ friends start cheering as I pulled Seifer down into a kiss.

"Yours, huh?" He asked when we pulled away.

"Yep." I said without hesitation. "And I _don't_ like to share."

Seifer laughed.

The End

_A/N: Hopefully the wonderful EdoFangirl will love this! I know it doesn't really mention any butterflies…like, at all…but I didn't want it to be too obvious and cliché, and I found that song at the beginning and really loved and was inspired by it. I hope you enjoyed it, darling! Congrats again!_

_Oh! And for anyone who was a teensy bit confused by the mention of the Second Coming, that's referring to when Jesus returns to Earth at the start of the apocalypse._


End file.
